Sharpening apparatus



April 17, 1928. 1,666,676

w. T. BRADLEY S HARPENING AI PARATUS Filed Oct. 23, 19226 Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

resaeis UNITED STATES iPA-TENT-OFF.ICE.-

WIL IAM T. BRADLEY, OF LINN, vussoum.

snanrnnme APPAR TUS.

Application filed October 23, 1926. SerialNo. 143,574.

This invention relates generally to an ap- ,paratus for sharpening cutting elements, and particularly"- to an apparatus adapted for use 111 sharpening the blades of knives and scissors, the predominant object of the invention being to produce an extremely simple and inexpensive means for sharpening.

. the blades of the cutting elements mentioned in a manner to maintain proper bevels at the 10 cutting edges thereof.- 7 p As is well known, it is absolutely essential in sharpening the blades of knives and scissors that the bevels at the cutting edges of said devices be properly maintained. In the use of sharpening apparatus heretofore em ployed, the proper maintenance of the bevels referred to depended largely on the skill of angle will be formed at the cutting edge'of the element bein sharpened,.regardless of the skill of the operator, inasmuch as it will be oi'ilynecessary after the'angle'regulating means of the apparatushas been properly adjusted for the operator to move the abrasive'across the cutting edge of theblade be ing sharpened. f V

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blade holder of my improved apparatus.

holder illustratedin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on Fig.1.. Y r r i Fig. 4 is a planview of the abrasivesupporting element of my improved apparatus. Fig. .5 is a side elevation of the abrasive supporting element illustrated in Fig. 4, a portion of the handle thereof being broken away to show the adjustable angle regulatmg means.

I line 3-3 of 6 is a plan view of the abrasive sup- 7 porting element of my improved apparatus when a file is employed in the sharpening operation. V

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the manner Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the blade in which the blade holding element is clamped to a support, and showing a scissors as it will appear when held by the holding element during thesharpening operation.-

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentarysection on line 88 ofFig- 7.

In the drawing'A,designates thoblade holding element of my improved apparatus, and B the abrasive supporting element thereof. The blade holding element comprises a pair ofspaced end walls 1 and 2, which are connected together at their lower portionsby a bottom wall 4 designates an angular member which is associated with the blade holding element A. said member 1 having a portion-.4"which is parallel with i and spaced apart downwardly from the bottom wall 3 of the holding element, as shown 111 Fig. 7. '5 designates a clamping device 1 which includes a threaded shank 6 extended through a threaded opening in the portion means 8 for rotating saidthreaded shank.

-VVhen the holding element of my improved apparatus is in use. it, is clamped to a table top, or other suitable support T in the manner illustrated in Fig. 7'. That-"is to say, anedge portion of the table top is located between the bottom wall 3 and the portion 4' 4;- of the angular member 4, a head 7 mov able with said threaded shank and, a winged and the threaded shankfi is rotated in adimotion to cause the head 7 tobe forced firmly against the bottom face of the table top.

'Interposed between'the end walls 1 and'2 is a pair of elongated pockets 9, said pockets each being extendedlfrom the wall 1 to the wall 2, and being slightly tapered in. cross section with the narrower portions at the outer ends thereof, as shown clearly in Fig.

3. Each of the pockets 9 comprises approximately paralleltop and bottom walls 10 and 11, an end wall 12 and walls 13 which extend downwardly from the blade receiving portion, of'the pocket to the bottom wall-3. The function of the last mentioned walls being to add rigidity to-the structure. If desired the pockets 9. may be formed as integral parts of the blade holding element A, although this is not essential. as said pockets may be formed separately and be secured to the holdi'ngelement in any suitable manner.

Asshown in Fig. 3, the blade receiving por tions of the pockets 9 are inclined upwardly and said pockets are extended outwardly in opposite directions.

" Formed in the end walls'l and 2 of the holding element A is a plurality of slots 14, said slots-being each of approximately the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of the blade receiving portions on the pockets 9. That is to say, each slot is tapered so that its narrower portion is at the outer end thereof. The slots 14 are so located that the blade receiving portion of each individual pocket is in alignment with a slot in the wall. 1 and a slot in the wall 2. In view of this arrangement, it is plain that a blade to be sharpened may be passed into the slots 14 and into the pockets 9, as shown in Fig. 2, in which view C designatesa blade to be sharpened. It is plain, of course, that because the blade holder is relatively short when compared with the length of the blade of the average knife, said blade will project beyond the holding element at the opposite ends thereof, and it is also obviousthat the blade may be moved longitudinally oft the pockets may be a separate element secured to said wall in any suitable manner. 17 designates a notch which is formed in the wall 2 at the upper edge thereof at a point immediately above the member 15, a wall of said notch being provided with a plurality of shoulders 18 for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. 19 designates a plurality of teeth formed in the upper edge portion of the wall 1 at a point opposite to the notch 17.

The member '15, notclr17'and teeth 19 referred to are employed when a scissors is'to be sharpened. In associating a scissors with the holding element A, so that it will be held thereby during the sharpening operation,

"one blade of the scissors is arranged in the notch 17, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8,'in which position'the back portion of the blade adjacent to the outer end thereof will contact with the teeth 19, whereby lateral movement of theouter portion of said blade is prevented. With one blade of the scissors in the position described, the other blade is moved to an approximately vertical position, as shown in Fig. 7, and the handle portion of said vertically arranged blade is moved inwardly toward the holding element in contact with the inclined face 16 of the member 15. This will have the effect of rotating the blade within the notch 17 axially, thereby forcing the blade of the scissors against the opposite walls of "the notch 17, whereby said blade will be tightly gripped within said notch, and because of the presence of the teeth 16 on the inclined face 16 of the member 15, the chance for accidental which is shapedto receive the abrasive 2 1 of the apparatus, said abraslve belnginterposed between an 'angularly arranged wall 24 of the fiat strip 21, and an end of a clamping screw 25, which passes through a threaded opening in the down-turned portion 26 of the fiat strip 21. It is obvious, in view of "this arrangement, that abrasives of different sizes may be employed, and when a smaller abrasive is used, as suggested in F ig. '5, fillers.

27 of any suitable material may be employed 7 to cause the abrasive to assumeits properposition. 1 p 4 Formed through the handle 20 of the abrasive supporting element B of my apparatus,

is a smooth opening, through which an adjustable member 28 is passed,said adjustable member comprising a threaded shank 29, having a head 30 at its lower end. 31

designates a 'locknut, which is adapted to contactwith the lowerportion of'the handle '20, and 32 designates a. wingnut which contacts with the handle 20 at the top thereof.

It is 'plain' t-hat the shank 29 may be adjusted transversely of the handle 20 by simply mav nipul-ating the locknut 81 and the wingn-ut 32, said locknut and wingnut being adapted to firmly lock said shank in anyposition to which it may be adjusted.

VVhe-n either the "knife blade orth'escissors V which is to be sharpened has'been gripped by the blade holding element A, as already described, the threaded shank 29 associated with the handle 20 of the abrasive supporting element Bis adjusted so that when the head 30 of said shank rests upon the table top orother support T, to which the blade holding element "is fixed, the bottom face of the "abrasive will be parallel with the face of the bevel at the cutting edge of the element to be sharpened. The abrasive sup porting element is then reciprocated with respectto the blade "being sharpened with the head 30 passing back and forth always in light contact with the support T. The result of this will be that the bevel of the cutting edge of the blade will be maintained, for as'long as the head 30 is moved along in contact with the support T the bottom face of the abrasive will be absolutely parallel with the bevel of the cutting edge being sharpened.

back of the narrow scissors blade instead of being in contact with the bottom of the notch 17 will rest upon one of the shoulders 18, which arrangement will bring the cutting edge thereof above the top of the notch. A scissors blade which rests upon one of the shoulders 18. as described, will be gripped in place within the notch 17 in the same manner as if it were resting upon the bottom of the notch.

Fig. 6 illustrates the abrasive supporting element of my improved apparatus when same has a file associated therewith instead of astone, as in Fig. 5. When it is desired to change from the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 6, the wedge 22 is removed and the flat strip 21 detached from the handle 20, after which the reduced end portion of the file 21 may be introduced into the aperture in the handle 20', and a wedge 22 introduced in place to rigidly fix the file to the handle.

The, blade holding element of my improved apparatus is provided with a pair of pockets 9, which extend in opposite directions, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The reason for having more than one pocket is to permit of the sharpening operation being performed from opposite sides of the holding element, andalso to permit of a blade being reversed when it is desired to sharpen both sides of the cutting edge thereof.

I claim: r

1. A device for holding cutting elements to be sharpened comprising a member having spaced end walls, and an elongated pocket interposed between said spaced end walls, said end walls being provided with openings in alignment with said pocket, said openings being of approximately the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of. said pocket and said pocket and said openings being adapted to receive the blade of, the cutting element to be sharpened. c

2. A device for holding cutting elements to be sharpened comprising a member having spaced end walls, and a pair of upwardly inclined elongated pockets interposed between said spaced end walls, said pockets being extended in opposite directions and being open along their outer edges, said end walls being provided with open end slots in alignment withsaid pockets, said openings being of approximately the same shape as the cross-sectional shape of said pockets and said pockets and openings being adaptedto receive the blades of the cutting elements to r be sharpened.

,3. -A device for holding a'scissors while same is being sharpened comprising a member having spaced end walls one of which is provided with a notch to receive the scissors blade whichis to be sharpened, and

van element associated withsaid member. and

provided with an inclined face against which a portion of the other blade of the scissors is moved to cause the first mentionedblade of said scissors to be rotated shghtly within said notch whereby said blade is wedged between walls of said notch and the scissors.

is rigidly gripped by the holding device.

4. A device for holding a scissors while same is being sharpened comprising a member having spaced end Walls one of which is provided with a notch to receive the scissors blade which is to be'sha-rpened, and an element associated with said member provided with an inclined face having teeth against which a portion of. the other blade of the scissors is moved to cause the first mentioned blade of said scissors to be rotated slightly within said notch whereby said blade is wedged between walls of said notch and'the scissors is firmly gripped by the holding device.

5. A device for holding a scissors while same is being sharpened comprising a member having spaced end walls one of which is provided with a notch to receive the scissors blade which is to be sharpened, teeth formed on the opposite end wall, and an element-associated with said member and provided with an inclined face having teeth against which a. portion of the other blade of the scissors is moved to cause the first mentioned blade of said scissors to be rotated slightly within said notch whereby said blade is wedged between wallsof said notch and the scissors is firmly gripped by the holding device. V

'6. A device for holding a scissors while same is beingsharpened comprising a memberhaving spaced end walls one of which is provided with'a notch to receive the scissors blade which'is to be sharpened, shoulders formed on a wall of said notch with which the scissorsblade may contact, teeth formed on the opposite end wall, and an element associated with said member provided with an inclined face having teeth against which not'ch to receive ablade of a scissors which is to be sharpened, and an element associated With said member and'pi'ovided with an inclined faceagainst Which a portion of 1 the other blade of the scissors is moved to cause the first mentioned blade of said scissors to be rotated slightly within said notch, whereby said blade is wedged be tween Walls of said notch and the scissors is 'firnily g'iipped by; the holding device, 10 :said spaced Walls of'sa'idnieniber bein pro- 7 vided "with inclined open-end slots a apted to receive blades of knives when saidblad'es are being sharpened.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto 

